I See You by Clare Mackintosh

I See You is the latest release from the author of the popular thriller, I Let You Go. It follows a woman named Zoe who sees an ad with her picture in the local paper for a website called FindTheOne.com. Other women start appearing in the ads and we learn that they have been victims of violent crimes. Zoe embarks on an investigation to uncover the reason behind the unsettling ads and why she is a part of it.

While I was intrigued by the premise of this novel, ultimately the story failed to capture my attention or draw me into the mystery. The beginning chapters are atmospheric and draw a vivid picture of the claustrophobic feeling of subway commuting, which is a perfect set up for a gripping thriller. However, there is too much time spent on the details of the mundane life of the main character that does not serve the story’s overall purpose and really slows down the narrative. The protagonist herself is not very compelling, and combined with the focus on the inconsequential details of her life, the story becomes quite dull. Unfortunately at a certain point I simply lost all interest and had to give up on this one.